Water Parks in Washington

Washington state has a water park scene that mirrors the Pacific Northwest personality -- a few well-executed options that make the most of a short but sweet summer season, plus some indoor alternatives for the nine months of the year when going outside in a swimsuit seems inadvisable. Wild Waves Theme and Water Park in Federal Way, between Seattle and Tacoma, is the state's largest amusement and water park. It serves the entire Puget Sound metro area, and on a hot July weekend -- and Seattle does get hot in July and August, despite the stereotypes -- the park is packed. The water park section has a solid variety of slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river, and the combined format with the theme park rides makes it a full-day destination. Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound, between Olympia and Centralia, brings the indoor resort water park model to Washington. This is arguably the most valuable water park in the state because it operates year-round. When Seattle has been gray and rainy for weeks straight -- which happens regularly from October through May -- an 84-degree indoor water park is practically a mental health resource. The location is about 90 minutes south of Seattle, making it a popular weekend getaway. Slide Waters in Chelan takes advantage of the eastern Washington climate, where summers are dramatically hotter and drier than the west side of the Cascades. Chelan is already a summer vacation destination thanks to the lake, and the water park adds another dimension. Birch Bay Waterslides near the Canadian border and Splashdown in Spokane provide options in the northern and eastern parts of the state. The outdoor season on the west side runs roughly July through early September, which is the reliable warm and dry window. Eastern Washington gets a longer warm season -- June through September -- with genuinely hot temperatures. The indoor parks operate year-round. Practical tip: Washington weather is hyperlocalal. Seattle might be 75 and cloudy while Chelan is 95 and sunny -- they're only three hours apart. If you want a guaranteed outdoor water park day, head east of the Cascades. If you're staying in the Seattle area, check the forecast and be flexible -- the best water park days in western Washington are the stretches of clear, warm weather in late July and August. And keep Great Wolf Lodge in your back pocket as the all-weather option.